Good my brother
by Maradon
Summary: It is Queen Lucy's fifteenth birthday. Everything is ready for the party, but someone is missing from home.
1. The Swan

_A/N: I am writing this fan fiction in Elecktrum's universe. You can find here references to her stories:  
_**_Black Dwarfs, Blue River  
Into the West  
They Also Serve  
Thole._**_  
I hope I listed them all._

I thank my two friends who read it first and told me that the story is good and I should post it, and I thank them for trying beta read it.

But my gratitude for beta reading goes to Elecktrum, who put up with every mistake I made and corrected them. She also helped me to think out Lucy's coat of arms.  
But most grateful I am to her that she let me use her universe.

And I thank Thalion King's Daughter who let me borrow her characters Jaer and Jaerin

I hope you enjoy my fist adept of Narnian fan fict_ion._

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, they all belong to C.S. Lewis, Elecktrum and Thalion King's Daughter _

* * *

A deafening silence had fallen over the halls and grounds of castle Cair Paravel even though it was the fifteenth birthday of young Queen Lucy.

For the past week the Cair had been the scene for every kind of festivities you could name to celebrate the joyous day. Royal guests had been hailing from all corners of Narnia.

For the first time in five years, King Lune had not been able to come; the raids of Calormen had been creating more problems than usual. Instead, King Lune's mother-in-law Princess Eo had come as his representative. She was beloved by all of the Narnian monarchs because of her pampering ways.

Despite all that, you could still hear a pin drop.

But the revelersjust had to raise their heads and gaze upon the four towers of the castle, and they saw the reason for that sudden silence. Instead of four flags, there were only three.

On the southern tower a dark green flag with golden swan on it flittered in the wind – the swan was beautiful and graceful just like the person whose symbol it was. On the eastern tower, the wind played with a golden yellow flag with a singing silver wren on it – the wren was always happy and musical like the person it portrayed. The western tower flew a dark brown flag with a silver fox – canny and clever like its bearer was. However, the northern tower was empty; the red flag with a golden lion – loyal and brave like the person whose coat of arms it was – laid upon the backrest of the High King's throne. The flag had stayed on the throne for a long time. The High King had briefly returned home from Archenland and stayed for a fortnight but he had gone back to help King Lune.

The three other monarchs were in the great hall: the Gentle one sat on her throne; the Just one stood at the entrance of the balcony and looked towards the beach, but the Valiant was pacing out of frustration. Few had ever seen Queen Lucy in such a mood.

"He promised!"

"No Lucy, he didn't!" Susan looked at her little sister.

"He wrote that he will try to make it home for your birthday," Edmund said with a quiet voice.

"But Sir Giles said that the campaign was almost over when he went to talk with Peter a week ago. I haven't seen him for six months now. Ed, you were with him for three months in Archenland and you Susan saw and spend time with him when he stayed home for a fortnight and I was on the Lone Islands. Moreover, the day I came to home, he had ridden back to Archenland to help King Lune against the Calormen who braved the Great Desert. I want to see him; I want to hug him."

"We know, Lu, as do we, but he is the High King, the Sword of Narnia. His duty is to protect her and her people."

Susan did not mean to be cold-hearted; she understood exactly what Lucy felt, but wished she understood by her fifteenth summer that life was not always fair.

Edmund turned and looked at his little sister. He sometimes felt sorry for his sisters because he was able to spend more time with Peter when they were on their campaigns. Even now he felt he should have been with Peter, but Edmund had fallen off of Philip and broken his leg so Peter left without him. When he later wanted to join his brother, Peter ordered him to stay home because he had everything sorted, he had order it even when he wanted his brother to beside him, that much Edmund could gather from the letter. Edmund would still have ridden there to be beside his brother had it not been General Oreius campaign reports confirmed Peters letters.

"Lu, you know Peter. He will do everything to make you happy. Believe me when I tell you that he tried to come home for your birthday, but something must have come up. You know how wars are." Edmund looked his sister. He didn't want to scowl her but right now he had no other choice.

Lucy nodded. She knew that she was behaving like some spoiled child and not like the Queen of Narnia. "I know that and I'm sorry, I just wanted him to be home for my birthday. He has never missed one. He has always been there and it feels so strange if he's not there."

Edmund went and put his hand gently yet clumsily on Lucy's shoulder – he wasn't used to being the comforting older brother. That was Peter's job. "We know, Lu, we know. And I believe you know that if Peter won't be home today, he will be tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, and he will be very upset that he missed your birthday."

"I know. Thank you, Ed, Su for trying to raise my spirits, I'll leave you now." Susan and Edmund watched as she left the hall.

"Where to you think she is going now?" Susan rose from her throne and walked beside her brother.

"To mine and Peter's room. She will take Peter's pillow, sit in Peter's armchair on the balcony and hug the pillow."

"Oh yes… The scent of just fallen rain, old books and cherries what lingers around Peter has always calmed her." Susan smiled sadly; _it has always calmed us all. _She added to herself.

Edmund looked at his older sister and saw the sight he had always feared: her gentle and caring sister was changing into a party organizing general and he knew it was time to run. "Cheroom wanted to talk to me about something, I must...go."

Susan knew exactly how her brothers hated helping her to organize parties. They had always been more into organizing attacks than picking the right flowers or foods or organizing the seating or…

"All right. Go and see what Cheroom wishes to speak to you about, but if you try to find an excuse for not attending your sister's birthday party, then I swear, good my brother, that "Gentle" won't be the name by which you shall know me."

"Yes, Mum!" and gone he was.

Susan sighed. The party was to begin in four hours but the preparations were not finished yet. So much remained to do and there was so little time. She had always known that she could not rely on her brothers to help her in those kinds of things – they always found some rubbish excuse to escape until the party started. She remembered well the strawberry incident before the second anniversary of the battle of Beruna: Peter was gone for three days.

This time she couldn't ask help from Lucy either because it was her party. Susan closed, her eyes wishing that Peter would return soon. He was the soul of this family. Lucy held them all together but Peter was the one who made them all happy. When he was home, Lucy was herself: happy, easy-going and smiling constantly, not the frustrated girl she had been in recent weeks. And Edmund wouldn't be so grave: he tried to hide it but his eyes told everything and sometimes he stood and gazed into the emptiness when he thought no-one was watching.

"Oh Peter please come home. We need you. I feel as if this family is collapsing without you," She whispered to the wind.

Alas, the Gentle Queen knew that when they had to choose between the safety of Narnia and the safety of their family, then every one of them would have chosen the first. As Oreius had said, they were Narnia, and Peter was the heart of the land – he was the sword, the warrior king, the protector of Narnia. Edmund was the shield, the diplomat, the safe keeper. They were the ones who kept Narnia guarded, side-by-side. They trusted and believed in each other, but without Peter, Edmund wouldn't have anything to keep safe. The shield would not function rightly when there was no sword.

Susan shook her head, this wasn't the time for grave thoughts – there was a party needed to be organized. The very moment she heard a joyful laughter coming from the beach and she realized who would be willing to help her – Jaer and Jaerin Peridansons. When the brothers saw their Gentle Queen coming towards them with the same gleam in her eyes that had frightened Edmund, they knew they were doomed.


	2. The Fox

Two hours later, after masterfully avoiding every Susan's attempt to drag him away, Edmund walked into his and Peter's room. He had been right again. The balcony doors were open and the eastern wind blew in. He saw that Peter's pillow was missing. Edmund walked on to the balcony and there was his little sister sitting in Peter's chairand hugged his pillow. He sat down and looked at his sister's calm face; it was so strange how Peter and Lucy could be so similar and then again so different.

The sun always calmed Lucy; the soft rays were caressing and softly warming her face. Peter, however, found rain comforting. Once Edmund had asked why that was so, and Peter had said someone – he couldn't remember who – had told him "Listen to the rain."

"You know, when he comes home, he wants that back."

Lucy didn't open her eyes but her radiant smile appeared.

"Then he will just have to fight me for it."

The Just King burst out laughing, "A pillow fight with you? Thanks Aslan that Peter's smart enough to decline."

Lucy's face displayed confusion. "Is it a compliment to my pillow fighting prowess or do you doubt your brother?"

"Neither of the above, you just cheat."

"Cheat? I, Queen Lucy the Valiant, cheat?!" Lucy asked with a stern voice and her features were serious, but the mischievousglint in her eyes told Edmund that she had gone along with the joke. "How exactly can one cheat in a pillow fight?"

"If I remember correctly the last time you sent Susan and Peter for me and waited when we all were out of our breath and then attacked us."

"Oh I remember that! It was fun!"

"Or not," Edmund frowned; Lucy smiled to see her brother's face.

"Don't grumble. You all had your revenge, if I remember correctly."

Edmund smirked, "That was definitely fun."

"You are incorrigible."

"I aim to please. I aim to please." Edmund looked at his sister's face. It was shining with happiness.

"I'm glad you're back."

A few moments later, the Just King discovered his mistake, because his sister crushed him with a hug. "You are dear to me, you know that?"

At first Edmund was too shocked to say anything but he started to push Lucy away, Edmund didn't like very much when someone hugged him.

"Lu! Lucy! Gerroff!"

Nevertheless, Lucy only hugged him tighter and kissed his cheek. "Stop fussing Ed, I know you like it." Edmund crossed his arms in front of him. "Who told you that?"

"I have known that from the time I was born." Lucy smiled and took two steps back.

"And you say I'm incorrigible."

The sweet smile didn't leave Lucy's face. Edmund shook his head and remembered why he was actually there. "You know, you only have an hour and a half to make yourself ready for the party." Lucy paled as Edmund's smirk grew wider. "And I heard that Princess Eo wanted to help you."

"You little sneak! Why didn't you tell me earlier?" The frown on her face was quickly replaced by a sly smile. "Maybe I should wait a little longer."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, yes, I would. It's so amusing to watch how you become lower than grass every time when princess Eo starts her rant about how thin you are."

"Lu!"

Lucy couldn't stop there; she was having too much fun teasing him. "And would it be dreadful if General Oreius came back with Peter and she persuades him to ban you from the training grounds."

"When the hell did you became so sneaky and smart?"

Lucy wasn't about to scold him for cursing, she only smirked. "Well, thank you, but you shouldn't fret. Knowing Peter, he will be as thin as you; even Oreius can't make him eat when he is worrying about Calormen and Narnia. Believe me; Princess Eo will make Oreius ban him, too."

At the last sentence a grin formed on Edmunds face, "Good my sister, having Peter banned from the training grounds with me, it would be worth it. Like last time."

Lucy took a step back. She remembered well why the last time her brothers had been banned from the training grounds had amused them so. It hadn't been for her. Her royal brothers had put aside their kingly bearing and had pulled pranks on her and Susan.

"I'll get you for this, my brother."

"We'll see. Don't forget, an hour and a quarter, Lucy."

"Alright, alright, I'll go and keep Princess Eo away from you."

When Lucy left Edmund laughed. The southern breeze played with his hair. If someone had been watching then he would have thought of him as a seventeen-year-old free-spirited boy who had no worries in life. However, the silver circlet on his hair always showed the weight of the world that lay on his shoulders. Suddenly the laugh stopped and the Just King became solemn; he realized how much had changed in the past seven years. His sisters were not the little girls that had come to Narnia. However, Lucy was still that fun-loving, adventuresome girl who had stepped into Narnia, and Susan still had that practical and realistic thirteen-year-old inside her. But they were much more mature. They had become the queens of Narnia, the Jewel and Song of Narnia, both beautiful and smart.

Edmund sighed. There were still men who saw Susan as the prize of Narnia; they all thought that if they had the Gentle Queen of Narnia then they would have the strongest kingdom in the known world. Even after they heard _The __Codex Consors_.

Those fools always annoyed and frustrated him and Peter. Those arrogant young men thought that they could come, take their sister, and get Narnia as a dowry. Edmund rubbed his eyes; those arrogant scum would be coming for Lucy soon. If Susan's suitors made them annoyed and frustrated, then Lucy's would make them angry. Edmund smirked; being angry was part of his personality but an angry Peter was hazardous. Only a few who had seen the Magnificent one angry had lived to tell the tale.

Nevertheless, scaring them off made his day; it was always so much fun to think up ways to get rid of them. Usually they left this job for Susan; everyone of the court knew by heart her Heart Breaker speech. It always started: "Noble lord/prince/king, I am not unaware of the immense honor you do me by putting yourself forth as a suitor for my hand . . ." by the next sentence they all be falling asleep. Peter had once joked that Heart Breaker should be part of Narnia's school curriculum and that every child should know it by heart so that when they came to court, they would know what was going on (and why it was permissible to sleep in the presence of royalty).

However, if the suitors were too annoying for the kings they always took matters into their own hands. Never physical, they had their own ways. The last one they had gotten rid of was the Duke of Fanal. The man had been so arrogant and full of himself that the whole court wanted to kick him, even Mr. Tumnus, who could even stand the most boring dignitaries sent from Calormen. Soon after duke had proposed to Susan in the most pompous and outrageous manner imaginable, Edmund and Peter had been walking in the eastern hall of Cair Paravel. When Marin, one of the Cat pages that served Peter. Had come to them with the news that Duke Fanal was on eastern balcony. Two kings only had to exchange one glance, instantly having same idea, and the performance began.

_K__ing Peter and King Edmund walked down the hall, when they saw the balcony that Marin had talked about._

"_What to you think about D__uke Fanal?" As soon as Edmund had asked that question, they heard how someone tried to hide him/herself. Both kings smirked. It seemed like their plan would work after all._

"_I don't know what we should do with him. We can't be too rough on him."_

"_Why not?"_

"_Because my brother, you broke the last one's nose." Holding back laughter, they heard a clump coming from the balcony._

"_Hey, I wasn't the one who broke that prince's leg."_

"_How could I have known that he couldn't fly?" Peter said it with so innocent voice that Edmund had to bit inside of his cheek to not to laugh _

"_Oh I don't know, maybe because he was HUMAN!" _

"_Ed, we are in Narnia anything is possible. By the way, I wasn't the one who lit that earl's hair on fire." _

"_I still insist that it was his fault. He stood under the magnifying glass for far too long." _

_While they were talking, they heard someone trying to sneak out, but he fell and after clumsily getting up, Fanal just ran. _

That memory still made Edmund laugh. The duke had left the palace the next morning never to be heard from again. Susan never found out why he left but she said, "Good riddance."

Suddenly Edmund's good mood was gone. He missed Peter; he should have been with him on that campaign. Only Aslan knew what could happen to the High King without his little brother by his side. When his leg had gotten better, he tried to go to Archenland with Claren, one of the fastest horses in the castle, but overly-protective Philip had stopped him as he tried to leave the stables. After that, Susan had put him under the house arrest. Him, the Just King.

And of course she immediately sent letter to Peter. The next day they had gotten the answer, if Peter had been with Edmund he would have yelled at him. Edmund realized from the letter how angry his brother was with him for such a stunt.

However, the report from General Oreius eased Edmund's mind. He knew that the general was looking out for his brother.

Peter had also sent a letter to Susan and Lucy ordering them to control Edmund. The worst incident was about a week ago when Philip tried to get his revenge on Edmund by assigning four Dogs to accompany him everywhere he went for the next three days. They even tried to follow him into his bedroom and when he tried to wash up.

In spite of it all, Edmund promised himself that if Peter didn't return in the next four days, he would ride to Archenland to be at Peter's side. They would fight the Calormene raiders side to side and back to back, just as Oreius had taught them to do over the past seven years.

Ed took Peter's pillow from the chair where Lucy had forgotten it. He could see why it had comforted Lucy. The scents of newly fallen rain, old books and cherries were still present, even after three months. He missed his adventuresome older brother who sometimes had the tendency to worry too much about everything. He gave thanks to Aslan that Peter had found himself again after that Ettin affair, because if Peter hadn't found a way out of that dark hole into which he'd fallen, there wouldn't have been a Narnia and Pevensie family to speak of. He had always been the heart and soul of both.

Thank Aslan Peter had taken Silvo with him. Edmund remembered all too well the frustration of having two valets running after him. Just like the time when Peter had gone to the lands in the west to retrieve the apple, to cure his brother from the White Witches curse.

He placed the pillow back on his brother's bed and walked into the changing room where Martil, his own Faun valet, was already waiting for him. He closed his eyes when Martil started fussing around him; he knew that he had to cheer up before Lucy's party because Lucy would never forgive him for sulking like this.


	3. The Wren

Lucy had somehow managed to escape from Princess Eo. She loved the elderly princess but sometimes she became to smothering for a fifteen-year-old girl. Instead Lucy ran to the door of southern garden knowing that Susan was there. She was right; her beautiful older sister was taking care of some last minute things. She remembered when she had stepped into her teenage years she had been jealous of her sister's beauty. When Peter had seen that, he had taken Lucy aside to talk to her. The words he had said burned in her mind that every time she felt even little bit jealous she remembered them:

"_Lucy, don't be jealous. You are both beautiful and extraordinary girls. Susan has her gentleness, beauty __and a way of calming everyone. You have__ your courage, playfulness and musical talent. You see you are both blessed by Aslan, and Aslan wouldn't want you to be jealous of your sister._"

Lucy smiled a sad smile. "You were right again, Peter. You were right." The sorrow that had surrounded her for weeks now came back; she missed her brother so much.

"Oh, Lucy, you look gorgeous." Susan's sincere declaration bought Lucy out of her morose thoughts and put smile on her face.

"I know, but I'll never beat you, good my sister."

"You silly! We can both be beautiful, can't we? And above that I shall never have your musical talent."

Both started laughing. "It seems like I'm the luckiest man in Narnia." Edmund's laughing voice came behind them.

"And why is that?" Susan asked.

"Because, my sister, I can escort two beautiful women today." He took both of their hands. "Shall we go, my queens?"

"Yes, my king," Lucy said, but Edmund's words had reminded her that Peter wasn't there. By tradition, the High King always escorted his sisters on their birthdays.

Valiant Queen closed her eyes – she needed to be happy and enjoy her party because. Su and Ed had gone through so much trouble to plan this for her. And her subjects would have been very disappointed when their beloved queen wasn't happy.

When she saw how many had come to celebrate her birthday, she immediately cheered up. The cutting garden by the orchard was full of the guests.

There was Mr. Tumnus, the Beavers; everyone who she cared about. But in the middle of the celebrations she felt how the fear that haunted her at night filled her mind. What if something happened? What if Peter had been killed? What if Peter had been wounded? Usually when Edmund was with Peter she wouldn't worry about them, because she knew that they both guarded each others backs, but now, even knowing that Oreius was with Peter, she was afraid.

Susan, seeing her sister's sadness, called, "Time for presents!"

And at that very moment, Lucy was showered with presents and she didn't have time to think grave thoughts. She left her siblings' presents for last; because one could never know what one's sibling were thinking when they were getting you present. Especially since she had so many new melodies to study and Mr. Tumnus had told her two days before that he and the Beavers were giving her new dancing shoes that were more durable than the ones she had now.

Her siblings always gave her something that she wouldn't expect. She took Susan's present and as she opened the pack; a beautiful silk shawl shined back at her, differed colors mixed with each other and the patterns were like waves and humming notes were flying over them.

"Oh Susan it's beautiful." Susan found herself crushed into a strong hug.

"It's like your music, Lucy, beautiful and complex." Lucy pursed her lips to keep from crying.

"Hey, Susan's gift isn't the last one," Edmund said from behind them.

"Oh, Ed, I thought you don't have a gift for me." Lucy half-smiled to him.

"Ha, ha, very funny, Lucy."

"I had a good teacher, Ed."

Edmund gave Lucy a big box.

"What is it?"

"Open it, good my sister, and then you will know."

Lucy looked Edmund with suspicion; you could never know what Ed would get you. She opened the box and her mouth fell open.

"Ed, you didn't…"

"What is it, Lucy?" Susan stepped behind Lucy. In the box was most beautiful violin that Susan had ever seen.

"It's nothing, Lucy. I knew that Jaer was teaching you how to play on his own violin so I thought I would give you your – ow..." Before he could finish his sentence, Lucy knocked wind out of him with her strong hug.

"Don't you even think to fight with this hug, Ed! Let me thank you properly."

"Don't worry, I won't dare." Edmund laughed, "And you're welcome."

The Just King only grinned and hugged his sister back.

Lucy got up and helped Edmund to steady himself; then she turned to the guests. "I thank you all; for your gifts and that you came to this party. I would especially like to thank Queen Susan and King Edmund for organizing, even if King Edmund tired to find little excuses to avoid helping Queen Susan." Laughter was heard from every corner of the garden, "If King Peter had been here, I know my brothers would have escaped together. I hope our High King will return soon and bring happiness to our lives again with his laughter. But now, good my people, it's time to dance." Her face glowed with delight and anticipation.

"But Queen Lucy, you haven't opened your last gift," a voice from the crowd spoke.


	4. The Lion

Susan, Edmund and Lucy knew that voice; it was the voice they had longed to hear again in the halls of Cair.

"Peter!" Lucy yelped happily.

The High King stepped out from the crowd; he still wore his traveling clothes, covered by the dust from road. "Of course Lucy, did you really think that I wouldn't come to your birthday?"

Lucy laughingly leaped into his arms. "Peter, you know very well how wars are. You can never hope for anything."

Peter hugged Lucy strongly. "You can always hope for love, good my sister."

He kissed her forehead. "Now it's time to open your last present" The Magnificent King gestured to Silvo to bring the gift from his traveling bag.

"Peter, what is it?"

"As Edmund said, open it and you'll find out."

Lucy took the beautifully crafted box as Susan stepped behind her, "Open it, Lu."

The Valiant Queen smiled and did as she was told. Inside the box was beautiful silver necklace, Lucy could tell that it was dwarfish work, it was delicate and ornaments in it were gorgeously crafted. On it were four gemstones – ruby, sapphire, emerald and yellow diamond – underneath those were four charms – a lion, a fox, a swan and a wren.

"Oh, Peter, it's beautiful. I have never seen something so delicate and at the same time so strong."

"You're welcome. Now when you wear it, you always have all of us with you." Lucy smiled and hugged Peter more strongly than before.

"I have to ask, where did you find it?" Edmund stepped beside his brother.

Peter smirked. "I asked Brickit to make it."

"You did what!?" Edmund looked Peter with shock. His brother had asked Brickit the Black Dwarf, make a necklace. Oh, he knew that now he was doomed, Edmund could not live down the remarks and sarcastic comments what he would receive. Peter had given perfect way to tease him to his Dwarf friends.

"Yes, at first he fought with me with me very hard telling me that he is a weapon maker not a jeweler, but after I won our battle of wits he agreed."

"What did you offer him?" Edmund stepped back a little, knowing with his old friend Brickit you had to be always on your guard.

"Peter, you didn't offer him Edmund, did you?" Susan crossed her arms.

"No, no, of course not, only ten vats of our finest wine and ten barrels of our best ale."

His siblings looked as if they were all holding their breath. "But now I think it's time to dance." Peter smiled wearily.

"You are right. Let's dance everybody!" Lucy declared joyfully.

"It's good to have you back, Peter." Susan hugged him and followed their sister to the dancing area.

"You know, I think you just sold out our best wines."

Peter turned towards his brother, who looked at their sisters.

"No I didn't, and even if I did you forgot our private wine cellar where we keep the badgers' wine."

"Oh yes, that's our finest wine. If Brickit finds out that you didn't give him our best wine, you'll be in trouble."

"Ah, I'll live with it."

Ed smirked and embraced Peter firmly. "I'm so glad you're back."

"I'm glad to be back. Aslan knows I missed you."

"You were the one who gave me to strict orders to stay home. You don't know what I have suffered."

"Being a good older brother, I tell you that it was your own fault. If you hadn't pulled that stunt I would never had to order you to stay home. I had a plan to send for you, but then you did what you did, so consider this as the punishment for scaring the hell out of your older brother."

"Oh, I'm going to have my revenge. I suffered three days with dogs following me. I'll try to think out something more horrifying for you." Edmund knew that it wasn't Peters fault, but he was having fun while Edmund was left behind, with girls, to worry.

"Dogs? What dogs? I didn't order the dogs to follow you. I know how annoying they can be."

"It wasn't you, it was Philip."

Peter's deep laugh echoed all over the garden, suddenly the party seemed happier and more enjoyable, as the High King's laughter reassuring, when they heard it they knew that Archenland was safe again and Narnia protected.

"I would liked to have seen that."

"Oh shut up, Peter. Now tell me how the campaign went."

"As we planned. It took little more time than we thought but still, we beat them."

"Of course. Now tell me about the battles."

"Ed! It's our sister's birthday. Enjoy it. I'll tell you everything tomorrow."

As Edmund looked at his brother; he saw how tired he was. Edmund could read the signs; his brother had ridden all the way from Archenland's border to Cair Paravel. The younger king saw Oreius, Xati and Kanell in the crowd. The centaurs had pushed themselves as hard as their King. Sometimes it felt like his older brother was trying to kill himself to make their family happy.

"Rest and enjoy the party, good my brother. I'll go and talk to Oreius."

"Before you go, can you explain to me why in the Aslan name did Brickit mumble Nancy's name under his breath when he was arguing with me?"

"I have no idea, Peter," and he made a fast escape.

"And is that my tunic." Peter called after the back of his retrieving brother.

So Peter only shook his head in amusement, sat beneath an apple tree and watched his younger brother talking with General Oreius. As he turned to look at his sisters, he saw Susan dancing with Jaerin, beside Rien who had pulled Jaer into a dance, and Lucy with Mr. Tumnus; they were happy, enjoying themselves Peter had made sure that the kingdom was safe and his family protected and guarded.

Suddenly there came a voice beside him. "King Peter."

"Hello, Peterkins." The young fox, who followed him and Edmund about at every opportunity, was seated right at his feet.

"How did the campaign fair?" He tried to talk to his High King with royal tone, but for someone who was in his teenage years and who was privileged to speak to the royal family freely, it was a little difficult. Peter chuckled at his attempt but did not correct him. Peterkins needed to learn the royal speech for the court.

"It faired very well, good my fox."

"Can you tell me about it?"

Well there was the fox he knew and loved. "Peterkins, it is time to celebrate, not time for a war talk."

"I'm sorry, King Peter."

"It's alright."

There was silence for some time; Peter could feel how his companion wanted to ask something but tried to restrain his curiosity. Peter only smiled to that. He knew Peterkins too well. In a few seconds he would blurt out what he wanted to ask.

"When can I come to the campaigns with you, King Peter?"

"When you're little bit older and your parents allow it."

"But King Peter, I'm old enough and if it was up to my mother I would never be a knight of Narnia." Peter tried not to laugh aloud. He knew that Lady Marion could be a bit over protective, but he also knew that the vixen would be very happy if her son would become a knight of Narnia, like his father. He looked onto the dance floor and saw Sir Giles and the mother fox dancing happily together; just like Mr. and Mrs. Beaver who were dancing next to them.

"Peterkins, there is time for everything, when Aslan wants you to become a knight of Narnia then it will happen, but for now you just need to be patient." Peter chuckled knowing that patience wasn't one of Peterkins best qualities.

Peterkins watched his High King. It seemed as if he wanted to be alone, but knowing his king as well as he did, the would-be knight knew that wasn't Peter's real wish. He lay down and put his head on Peter's lap like he had done when he was a small fox.

Peter smiled. It was strange how Peterkins' knew what he needed. He put his hand on Master Fox's head and scratched him behind his ear.

As he looked back at the party, he saw that his troops were arriving. Celer, who had stopped to report in, had swept into the dance by royal order of Queen Susan. All the sons of Ravenwolf and their sister had joined the dance after Queen Lucy's persuasions. It was good to see them enjoying themselves after the three months they had endured. The battles with Calormen had been tough. Celer and three of the Ravenwolfs had been wounded. At those times Peter had felt that they would lose the campaign.

"Queen Lucy, pray give us a tune!" someone yelled from the crowd. Peter thought that he recognized Xati's voice.

He saw Lucy ran run to Celer and ask for the Faun's pipe before she joined the musicians that were assembled on the edge of the lawn. Accompanied by a variety of instruments, Lucy began to play the most beautiful melody.

Peter closed his eyes; it was good to be home. Every time he came home and saw his family and his subjects he knew why he had taken his shield and sword and rode out to defend Narnia and her subjects.

He didn't enjoy killing, but keeping his home and family safe was his job, his responsibility, his life. Peter laughed quietly on that thought. Edmund would hit him over the head and tell him he was stupid to think like that.

Peter had feared this time that he won't get to come back home. The fear had been so strong that he had experienced nightmares and been woken by Oreius. For a week afterwards he had not been able to sleep and when finally Oreius forced him to rest, the awful dreams had returned. The nightmares had lasted until the end of the campaign. Not even letters from his siblings could calm him. He wasn't sure why that was. Perhaps because he didn't have Edmund, the Shield of Narnia, beside him and behind him. It had been a long time since he had gone to battle without his brother – it had been so strange to have Oreius, not Edmund, at his back.

Nevertheless, now it was all over. He was back at home with his sisters and brother and the world was right again for him. He heard Susan's and Lucy's laughter when Lucy had finished playing, he heard Edmund's voice echoing as he talked to Jaer nearby, he felt Peterkins' head on his lap.

Opening his eyes, he looked up on the four towers of Cair Paravel and saw the Swan, the Wren, the Fox and the Lion banners up on their places. And finally after three months he felt that everything was as it needed to be. Peter heard the Lion's roar from somewhere in the distance, he saw that his siblings had heard it to; they all smiled, knowing that Aslan was looking after them.

* * *

A/N: The Story is finished. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I writing it.

I thank all who reviewed me:  
Elecktrum  
FyreFlyte  
Trecebo  
Thalion King's Daughter  
GoldSilverLionFox  
All The Pretty Horses  
love lotr –anne  
jquist  
Fairies-Are-Real

My special thanks goes to Elecktrum for letting me use her universe, and to Thalion King's Daughter for letting me use her characters Jaer, Jaerin and Rien.

I don't know if I write more Narnian Fanfictions. The time will tell. First of all I have to finish my CSI: NY fanfiction. I have delay for to long. But I like writing Narnian fanfiction so maybe I come back to it.

Maradon


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